Public holidays in South Africa 2006
2006 had 13 public holidays and 6 long weekends. One was declared by the President: the local government elections on Wednesday 1 March. New Year’s Day and Heritage Day fell on a Sunday, so Monday 2 January and Monday 25 September were public holidays too. The Day of Reconciliation fell on a Saturday and didn’t move.
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- 13Public holidays12 in the Act, 1 declared
- 12Weekdays offMonday to Friday
- 6Long weekendsThree days off or more
- 248Working daysWeekdays less holidays
Every public holiday in 2006
| Date | Public holiday |
|---|---|
| 1 JanuarySunday | New Year’s DayLong weekendFalls on a Sunday, so Monday 2 January is a public holiday. |
| 2 JanuaryMonday | Public holiday: New Year’s Day observedLong weekendNew Year’s Day falls on a Sunday, so the Monday is a public holiday. |
| 1 MarchWednesday | Local government electionsDeclared by the President. The proclamation. |
| 21 MarchTuesday | Human Rights Day |
| 14 AprilFriday | Good FridayLong weekend |
| 17 AprilMonday | Family DayLong weekend |
| 27 AprilThursday | Freedom Day |
| 1 MayMonday | Workers’ DayLong weekend |
| 16 JuneFriday | Youth DayLong weekend |
| 9 AugustWednesday | National Women’s Day |
| 24 SeptemberSunday | Heritage DayLong weekendFalls on a Sunday, so Monday 25 September is a public holiday. |
| 25 SeptemberMonday | Public holiday: Heritage Day observedLong weekendHeritage Day falls on a Sunday, so the Monday is a public holiday. |
| 16 DecemberSaturday | Day of ReconciliationFalls on a Saturday, so it doesn’t move. |
| 25 DecemberMonday | Christmas DayLong weekend |
| 26 DecemberTuesday | Day of GoodwillLong weekend |
Long weekends in 2006
- Saturday 31 December to Monday 2 January3 days: New Year’s Day
- Friday 14 to Monday 17 April4 days: Good Friday and Family Day
- Saturday 29 April to Monday 1 May3 days: Workers’ Day
- Friday 16 to Sunday 18 June3 days: Youth Day
- Saturday 23 to Monday 25 September3 days: Heritage Day
- Saturday 23 to Tuesday 26 December4 days: Christmas Day and Day of Goodwill
One day of leave, four days off
- Take Monday 20 March off, before Human Rights Day on Tuesday: off from Saturday 18 to Tuesday 21 March.
- Take Friday 28 April off, after Freedom Day on Thursday: off from Thursday 27 to Sunday 30 April.
2006 calendar
January 2006
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, New Year’s Day | ||||||
| 2, New Year’s Day observed | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 |
February 2006
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 |
March 2006
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, Local government elections | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21, Human Rights Day | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
April 2006
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14, Good Friday | 15 | 16 |
| 17, Family Day | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27, Freedom Day | 28 | 29 | 30 |
May 2006
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1, Workers’ Day | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 |
| 29 | 30 | 31 |
June 2006
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |||
| 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16, Youth Day | 17 | 18 |
| 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
July 2006
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | |||||
| 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 |
| 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
| 31 |
August 2006
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
| 7 | 8 | 9, National Women’s Day | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 |
| 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
September 2006
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24, Heritage Day |
| 25, Heritage Day observed | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
October 2006
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 | 31 |
November 2006
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | ||
| 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
| 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 |
| 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 |
December 2006
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | ||||
| 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16, Day of Reconciliation | 17 |
| 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 |
| 25, Christmas Day | 26, Day of Goodwill | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 |
Declared by the President
- Wednesday 1 March 2006: Local government elections. Election day. Source: Proclamation R1 of 2006, Government Gazette 28442, 30 January 2006.
How the dates are set
South Africa has 12 public holidays, set by the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994. Ten fall on the same date every year. Good Friday and Family Day move with Easter: they are the Friday before and the Monday after Easter Sunday.
The Sunday rule. When a public holiday falls on a Sunday, the Monday after it is a public holiday too (section 2(1) of the Act). A holiday on a Saturday doesn’t move.
The President can also declare any day a public holiday, by proclamation in the Government Gazette (section 2A). Election days are declared this way.
Source: the Public Holidays Act 36 of 1994 (Schedule 1 and sections 2(1) and 2A) and the President’s proclamations in the Government Gazette, checked against the government’s published lists on 7 November 2026.